Local Views: Obamacare opposition is about its problems rather than race

The Oct. 26 Local Views column written by Ted Kinnaman of the Democratic Party of Rock County attempts to blame the dysfunction in Washington on the tea party and the Republican Party. Kinnaman ignores President Obama’s promise not to negotiate with Republicans unless he got everything he wanted.

Sen. Harry Reid refused to bring multiple Republican bills that would have continued funding vital portions of government to a vote. Obama spent more precious money and resources to shut down parks, monuments and roadside viewing points than it would have taken to keep them open. Democrats won’t even pass a budget, preferring to bump along from crisis to crisis with continuing resolutions. The Democrats are dysfunctional and entirely incapable of effective leadership.

Mr. Kinnaman accuses Republicans of opposing Obamacare because it is Obama’s greatest achievement. Then Kinnaman goes to the Democrats’ tired old staple and plays the race card. He said Republicans are against Obamacare because Obama is black. Then, of course, Kinnaman has to resort to comparing Republicans to Nazis.

No, Republicans are against Obamacare because it is disastrous for our country and for its citizens. Obama’s claims about Obamacare lowering costs and medical records remaining private are not true. Obama has claimed dozens of times that if you like your doctor and your insurance plan you can keep it. Millions of Americans are finding his promise will be broken.

Forbes’ did a close examination of Obamacare and found that the number of people losing their insurance coverage in merely three states exceeds that of people newly insured in all 50 states.

The National Review reported that more than half a million Americans have received notices that they will lose their coverage in California. Policy experts’ estimates for the total number of people set to lose their coverage vary from 14 million to 16 million. What happened to Obama’s promise that if you liked your plan you could keep it?

The Los Angeles Times reported on the sticker shock of Obamacare. Middle-income consumers face an average 30 percent rate increase. One young woman complaining about her 50 percent rate hike related to Obamacare said, “I was all for Obamacare until I found out I was paying for it.”

That statement gets to the heart of the matter. Republicans realize that the bills for the unprecedented spending under Obama and the Democrats since 2008 will eventually have to be paid. It is not fair to pass their wasteful spending down to our kids and grandkids. That is why Republicans oppose Obama’s policies, not because of his race.

The rhetoric, hatred, and falsehoods that Democrats like Kinnaman spread do not serve our country. They are meant to intimidate and silence anyone who wants to have an intelligent discussion about where this country is headed.

Nick Fitzgerald of Janesville is an executive board member of the Republican Party of Rock County. Readers can contact him by email at Nfitzgeraldgop@gmail.com.